A Song & A Book #55

Today’s Song Is;

A cool missile, yes it’s in his smile
With open arms to welcome you
Beware the masked pretender
He always lies, this candyman
Those lips conspire in treachery
To strike in cloak and dagger, see!

And The Book I Chose For This Song Is;

“David doesn’t know much about life beyond the walls of his room, except what he reads in his books. Mourning the death of his mother and angry at his father for moving on so quickly, David is pulled into a world next to our own and discovers all the stories he’s read have come to life. However, these stories are different. Angrier. Darker.

As David makes his way through the world to find the king and the mysterious Book of Lost Things that will help him get home, he encounters adventures he never imagined. But a danger is lurking in the shadows, threatening to destroy David and his entire future.”

The Sunshine Blogger Award

First I want to give a huge thank you to Ally Writes Things for tagging me (thanks!), then I want to apologize for not being very active recently. The thing is, I got a job here (yay!), and a really fun one too as a game master in an escape game, but that means that I won’t have much time to spare on blogging. Add that with the fact that I still study 100% and work 50%…

So I’ve decided that I don’t really have much time to write reviews. I am however considering just posting weekly/daily memes to keep it updated like “A Song & A Book”. But ??? I don’t know ??? I want to keep this blog, of course, I’m just worried how I’m gonna have time to update it. I think I’m gonna do another post soon explaining my plan.

But for now, let’s to this!

The Rules

1. Thank the person who nominated you and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions your nominator has given you.
3. Nominate 11 other people (or however many you want) and give them 11 new questions to answer.
4. List the rules and display the award

• What book reminds you of a specific place?

Oh that’s gotta be Watership Down – I bought it at Foyle’s and have since always thought of the (5 floor) bookshop and how I spent about 6 hours there.

• What’s your favourite place to visit in your hometown/province/state/country?

Except the Science Fiction Bokhanden (bookshop) in Stockholm, it’s gotta be High Chaparral, the theme park in Småland, when I’m working and living there.

• Which author do you admire the most?

I honestly don’t know much about the authors I love, but I do admire anyone with the talent for writing. So this one goes to Brandon Sanderson!

• Are there any books you would never recommend?

Hahahah, yes. Wildest Dreams by Kristen Ashley is so goddam awful, both writing style and story/characters, but I could never explain to you without ending up destroying half a room. But let me just tell you that for half the book I thought the MC was 14, until it was stated that she was 30, and I thought the male MC was the villain through almost the whole book. That was until the villains were actually revealed, and then I rooted for the “real” villains instead. Never have I been so disgusted by a book and THE FACT THAT IT HAS F**CKING 4.2 IN RATING ON GOODREADS.

• One bookish pet peeve?

“oh I’m so inlove and intrigued by that mysterious, beautiful boy/girl that everyone else falls in love with but good thing they return my feelings but in like, a really complicated way which leads to drama and shit but hey, fuck basic healthy relationship things like some goddamn communication”.

• Favourite cake flavour?

Chocolate, lemon, lime, raspberry, sugar –

• Do you have a favourite piece of jewellery?

Nah… but I do really like my small, golden slipper. Uhm, it’s a family code thing for the women…

• If you were on a game show, which song would they play when you entered? (what song is your theme song??)

Knowing my sense of humour, I’d probably ask them to play ‘The Imperial March’.

• Which bookish world would you want to visit?

Oh my god like EVERYONE, even the ones I hate *looks pointedly at Wildest Dreams* just to verbally assault the characters on their egoism and stupidity and abusive behaviors. But like, if only one then I’ll go with Rick Riordan’s amazing universe…

• Best book of 2017 so far?

The whole series of The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb and The Books of Beginning by John Stephens

• If you had to give your parents a book, which would it be?

 

In turn, I tag – Anna @mybookishdreams, RemiVFoliage, The Infinite Library, Bookish Brianne, MetalPhantasmReads and Swords & Spectres!

And my questions are the following –

1. What book fills you with both love and anxiety when thinking about it?
2. If you’d recommend a book to your favorite fictional villain, which would it be?
3. Which fictional character could punch you in the face and you’d thank them?
4. Which book/fictional world would have the best version of “Real Housewives of—“?
5. Which character would you wanna pull off the “let’s pretend we’re getting married to get my stupid family to shut up” – thing with?
6. In the face of a giant catastrophe, which book would you sacrifice to satisfy the gods?
7. Name something weird (but useful?) you’ve learned from a fictional book.
8. An object you’d want to steal from a book?
9. If you could have the same powers as any fictional character, which would it be?
10. Which book on your shelf could be handy as a weapon in case of an invasion or zombie apocalypse?
11. You’re going to hell. Which book would you bring to endure eternal damnation?

A Song & A Book #54

Today’s Song Is;

I’m waking up, lost in boxes outside Tesco
Look like a bum sipping codeine Coca-Cola
Thought that I was northern Camden’s own Flash Gordon
Sonic ray gun, gonna be a superstar

And The Book I Chose For This Song Is;

“How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus’s favour.

But Apollo has many enemies – gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go . . . an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.”

I Dare You Book Tag

I was tagged by the lovely Rachel @ pace, amore, libri, she reads great books so go check her out!

RULES:
You must be honest
You must answer all the questions
You must tag at least 4 people

1. What book has been on your shelf the longest?

I think that’s gotta be Anne Franke’s Diary and Egyptens Underverk (The Wonders Of Egypt) both which I got when I was about 11 years old, I think?

2. What is your current read, your last read, and the book you’ll read next?

Current: The Romanovs (nonfiction) and The Boy Who Could See Demons by Carolyn Jess-Cooke!

Last: The Name of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett

Next: God no idea, hoping for my books that I ordered might arrive soon

3. What book did everyone like, but you hated?

I feel like the only person who really disliked Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. It’s one of those books that has not exactly improved my trust for best-selling YA fantasy novels. And don’t even get me started on the cringe series that is Red Queen (I actually quite liked the first, but the second was horrible and the third so much cringe that I DNF’d it.) Like I’m not even gonna touch Sarah J. Maas’ or Cassandra Clare’s books, sorry.

4. What book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read, but you probably won’t?

Oh dear

5. What book are you saving for retirement?

Harry Potter- series. Yes, I am of the rare species that still hasn’t read the books. Because of the extreme hype I feel so intimidated that I probably won’t read them until I read them for my kids or grand-kids. Or cats, Idk.

6. Last page: read it first, or wait ’til the end?

WHAT NO ARE YOU CRAZY, NEVER TRUST PEOPLE WHO READ THE LAST PAGE FIRST

7. Acknowledgement: waste of paper and ink, or interesting aside?

I like never read the acknowledgment, but I think they should still be there!

8. Which book character would you switch places with?

I’m happy you asked,

ANYONE in the Rick Riordan universe, or at least a minor character so I could still get to know all the main characters. Myfawny Thomas from The Rook, Irene from The Invisible Library, Shallan Davar from Stormlight Archives…

9. Do you have a book that reminds you of something specific in your life? (Place, time, person?)

I have a lot of strong memorise of when listening to Rick Riordan’s audio books going to and from school. I can remember exactly when and where I sat on the buses and where they were when two times I had to fake-cough because I could hardly hold in my laughter (one was the ‘summoning’ scene in The Titan’s Curse and another was Sif’s little house modification that went “AAAAAH” from The Hammer of Thor. 

10. Name a book that you acquired in an interesting way.

I’ve never acquired a book in an interesting or personal way….

 

11. Have you ever given a book away for a special reason to a special person?

Dude, a dragon couldn’t get a hold of my book collection. You’d think I give anything away freely? 

12. Which book has been with you most places?

This actually has to go to The Name of The Wind, as I brought it with me this summer. It has been borrowed by co-workers and visited different jobs (I even forgot it in one shop once…)

13. Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad two years later?

Haha, no.

14. Used or brand new?

I’m gonna be a bit posh here and go for brand new.

15. Have you ever read a Dan Brown book?

???

16. Have you ever seen a movie you liked more than the book?

Coraline ~ though I really liked the book, the movie got far more many feelings extracted from me.

17. Have you ever read a book that’s made you hungry, cookbooks included?

Any late night reads, knowing I can’t sneak down to the kitchen without waking my parents who sleep right next to it, our puppy, and probably someone in New Zealand.

18. Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

I actually have some trust issues when it comes to book recommendations, even though there are people I look to for advice. But I won’t blindly throw myself into a book just because a certain person recommended me it (but if we share a lot of fave books, then I’ll definitely consider your book advice).

19. Is there a book out of your comfort zone (e.g., outside your usual reading genre) that you ended up loving?

A Monster Calls, as I rarely read contemporary and magical realism, but I ended up loving it (and crying)

Welp, these were my answers (hope you liked them :))

I tag @readingsanctuary, Ally @ ally writes things, Anna @ mybookishdreams and RemiVFoliage

 

A Song & A Song #53

Today’s Song Is;

In glass coffins they keep coughing
They’ve forgotten, forgotten how to sing

They will stay there in their gold frames
For forever, forever and a day
All the rowboats in the oil paintings
They keep trying to row away, row away

And The Book I Chose For This Song Is;

[OBS! SPOILERS FOR THE FIRST BOOK IS IN THE SYNOPSIS]

“The Vestrit family’s liveship, Vivacia, has been taken by the pirate king, Kennit. Held captive on board, Wintrow Vestrit finds himself competing with Kennit for Vivacia’s love as the ship slowly acquires her own bloodlust.

Leagues away, Althea Vestrit has found a new home aboard the liveship Ophelia, but she lives only to reclaim the Vivacia and with her friend, Brashen, she plans a dangerous rescue.

Meanwhile in Bingtown, the fading fortunes of the Vestrit family lead Malta deeper into the magical secrets of the Rain Wild Traders. And just outside Bingtown, Amber dreams of relaunching Paragon, the mad liveship . . . “

Thursdays Top 4

I found this wonderful weekly meme at Ally Writes Things blog (it was also she who created it), and just had to join in! Every week there’s a new topic where you’ll give your top 4 answers 🙂

This week’s topic is: Best Villains, and since I love villains, it’s gonna be impossible hard to narrow it down to just four. So instead I’ve chosen 4 categories, and picked 4 villains for each!

#1: Best Fantasy Book Villains

Kennit from The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb (art), Lord Ruler from The Final Empire Brandon Sanderson (art), Luke Castellan from Percy Jackson and The Olympians by Rick Riordan (official art by viria), The Dire Magnus from The Books of Beginning by John Stephens (art).

#2 Best SciFi Book Villains

Eli from Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Broadgirdle from The Golden Specific and The Crimson Skew by S.E. Grove, AIDAN from The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, Limelight from Calamity by Brandon Sanderson.

#3 Best Children’s Books Villains

The Beldame from Coraline by Neil Gaiman, Katla from Brothers Lionheart by Astrid Lindgren, The White Witch from The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, Captain Hook from Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie.

#4 Best Non-Animated Villains

The Shattered Mirror from The Snow Queen by H.C. Andersen, The Lie Tree from The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge, Dorian Gray’s self-portrait from The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, AIDAN from The Illuminae Files by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff (yeah he gets an extra credit).

A Song & A Book #52

Today’s Song Is;

They said I’m doing alright after the bad day,

and I’ve been washing away all of these grass stains,

I heard them say it’s all in my head, 

So why do I keep waking up in a morgue when I’m not dead

And The Book I Chose For This Song Is;

“Hamlet is the story of the Prince of Denmark who learns of the death of his father at the hands of his uncle, Claudius. Claudius murders Hamlet’s father, his own brother, to take the throne of Denmark and to marry Hamlet’s widowed mother. Hamlet is sunk into a state of great despair as a result of discovering the murder of his father and the infidelity of his mother. Hamlet is torn between his great sadness and his desire for the revenge of his father’s murder.”

T5W – Books To Read Without The Synopsis

Time for my first Top 5 Wednesday after about three months! This week’s topic is actually very interesting, as almost every book I’ve read without synopsis (or I read when I forgot the synopsis) has turned out so much more exciting. I love reading a book that I remember was about something good, but I can’t remember what. Also I recommend you to just read the beginning of the synopsis, the first sentence – but nothing more. Ex. with The Final Empire “What if the Dark Lord won?”.

So here’s my recommendations for books you should dwelve into with no idea of what to expect!

So these are my recommendations! Have you ready any of these and agree/disagree? Have you yourself done a T5W post about books to read without knowing the synopsis? Comment! ❤

A Song & A Book #51

Today’s Song Is;

Each and every day
Hiding from the sunshine
Wandering in the shade
Not too old, not too young

And The Book I Chose For This Song Is;

” Magnus Chase has always been a troubled kid. Since his mother’s mysterious death, he’s lived alone on the streets of Boston, surviving by his wits, keeping one step ahead of the police and the truant officers.

One day, he’s tracked down by a man he’s never met—a man his mother claimed was dangerous. The man tells him an impossible secret: Magnus is the son of a Norse god.

The Viking myths are true. The gods of Asgard are preparing for war. Trolls, giants and worse monsters are stirring for doomsday. To prevent Ragnarok, Magnus must search the Nine Worlds for a weapon that has been lost for thousands of years.

When an attack by fire giants forces him to choose between his own safety and the lives of hundreds of innocents, Magnus makes a fatal decision.

Sometimes, the only way to start a new life is to die . . .”

The World Is Shitty, Here’s Some Feel-Good Books

Three hurricanes wreck havoc with a devastating earthquake in Mexico, persecutions of Muslims in Myanmar, the Central African Republic’s people are forgotten and ignored by the UN, Kim Jong-Un and a third world war has gotten way too real, starvation, Nazis are marching openly in the streets, cops in “the world’s most powerful democracy” can openly harass and kill black people without any consequences, global warming. Donald Trump.

A lot of people are worried about the current state of the world. Due to all the horrible news stories that are circulating (social) media, it’s only natural to feel angsty. But one must also know that it is absolutely okay to just go offline, we’re not supposed to handle this much human suffering.

Here are a few feel-good books that will put your mind on something else;

 

 I read The Steps Up The Chimney by William Corlett [x] as a child and loved it (and the series), re-listened to it again last year and it’s still a charming story. This is a middle-grader novel you’ll love if you love the tropes of old mansions, supernatural powers/magic and talking animals.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn [x] is the kind of short-novel you can read in one sitting. It begins with a very old and exaggerated language, but as letters are being banned, this book just becomes more and more hilarious until I burst out laughing near the end.

Howl’s Moving Castle by Dianne Wynne Jones [x] will probably forever stay as one of my favorite feel-good books. It’s a wonderful and entertaining story that I think everyone should read at least once.

While we’re talking about something everyone should read at least once, The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams [x] fits this perfectly. Just completely weird and hilarious, it is bound to keep your mind off the bad things.

A must read if you love Percy Jackson, The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan [x], the first in his ongoing series Magnus Chase and The Gods of Asgard is a cute and fun adventure with a two demigod teens, a dwarf and an elf who goes on a journey to find the sword of summer and make sure that Loki’s offspring Fenris stays bound. Would have added his other ongoing series, The Trials Of Apollo, had it not bee for the fact that the villain, being a corrupt evil business owner who wants to take over the world, is way too real.

Seeing as we already are on the topic of norse mythology, Neil Gaiman’s Odd and The Frost Giants [x] is definitely the book for you if you want a quick and charming story. Perfect to cuddle up with now during the coming winter-halfyear (or if you have an English word for it?).

Matilda by Roald Dahl [x] have most of you maybe already read (in school), but if not, I highly recommend you this read for any day you need a little nostalgia and hope for humanity.

Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie [x] is another must-read children’s classic for any bad day. And I know how the book is supposed to argue about why it’s important to grow up, it still won’t stop me and many other adults to argue that Peter was right – I want to be a child again with no fear for the future.

As we’re already on children’s classics, why not mention some more? The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis [x] is such a magical feel-good book that it’ll definitely put your mind on something else. Just don’t open the closet afterward, I tried and you’re bound to be disappointed.

And now for something completely different. The Rook by Daniel O’Malley [x] is equally hilarious as it is intriguing, wonderful book to light up an otherwise negative outlook on the modern day world. I mean, a secret agency to deal with supernatural threat? Maybe doesn’t sound like such an original concept, but trust me on this one, you don’t want to miss this book.

Last but not least, who could think that a book about the apocalypse could be a feel-good, especially considering all that’s happening in this world? But no, Good Omens by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman [x] is a wonderfully hilarious read that’ll make you feel pretty okay about a possible Armageddon.

***

Well, those were some of my recommendations! Feel free to add your own recommendations in the commentary field or share your opinion on any of the mentioned (did you agree/not agree? Why?).

And look, the world might seem shitty but remember all those coming books this autumn, winter, coming years…